As noted in the January 16, 2026 Program announcement, the passage of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act included changes to the REC payment structure for Small DG and Public Schools DG projects, effective June 1, 2026. As previously announced, the Program will soon roll out 2026 Illinois Shines REC Delivery Contracts, and on April 17, 2026, shared Draft 2026 REC Delivery Contracts for Stakeholder feedback.
The Program has recently received a high volume of Part I Small DG project applications seeking approval under the 2024 REC Delivery Contract. In an effort to Part I verify as many project applications as possible under the 2024 REC Delivery Contract, the Program Administrator has added additional processing capacity through a combination of increased staff hours, deferring non-essential tasks, and contracting additional employees. These efforts nearly double the capacity to review applications and address Need Info case responses, while continuing to be mindful of Part II application processing demands. There are approximately 4,500 Part I Small DG applications in the current queue (both paid and unpaid).
The ICC Submission Process, upon which the Program Administrator establishes the verification deadline in preparation of the batching process, is described and illustrated in Section 5.A of the Program Guidebook. This section details essential Program activities following the verification deadline, including preparation of workbooks for the ‘two-day re-batching window’ that opens twelve business days prior to the ICC meeting. Following the re-batching window, the Program Administrator prepares the memo for the ICC meeting and shares the batching information with the contracting utilities in addition to preparing the REC Contract documents. The Commission requires the memo to be submitted at least six days prior to the meeting.
To further support stakeholders, the IPA requested the Illinois Commerce Commission 1) Add a special meeting on May 29, 2026 to review and approve more project applications under the 2024 REC Delivery Contract, and 2) Provide leniency on the six day advance memo submission requirement for the May 29 ICC meeting. The ICC approved both requests, and the Program shares the following table, with the original schedule for the May 21 ICC meeting which remains in place, and the new, special May 29 ICC meeting with a shortened, non-standard process schedule. Due to the shortened timeline for the new meeting, there may be slight delays in contract document distribution for signatures.
| May 21 ICC Meeting – Previously scheduled; original schedule and dates remain in effect | May 29 ICC Meeting – New meeting with shortened, non-standard process schedule | |
| Revised Part I Verification Deadline | May 3 | May 14 |
| Generate Re-Batching Workbooks & QA | May 4 | May 15 |
| Re-Batching Opens for AVs | May 5 | May 18 |
| Re-batching Closes for AVs (Election Deadline); Memo Run and Contracts Generation | May 7 | May 20 |
| Utility Memo Submission Date | May 11 | May 22 |
| ICC Submission Date | May 13 | May 27 |
| Trade Date (ICC Meeting) | May 21 | May 29 |
As we approach the end of this Program Year, we ask that expectations for project application review remain realistic, and that Approved Vendors respond to Need Info requests promptly to facilitate project verification.
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]